WINNIPEG -- As an outbreak in Vancouver sparks debate over mandatory vaccination, health officials in Manitoba say measles cases in the prairie province are rare.

A spokesperson for the province said there have been no confirmed cases of measles in Manitoba in 2019.

There were only two cases in Manitoba reported in 2018 altogether, both in the Interlake-Eastern health region.

The province said immunization rates for the MMR vaccine for measles, which also protects against mumps and rubella, are stable and consistent with rates in other provinces. It said data shows 83 per cent of babies born in 2016 had received at least one dose of MMR, noting that all vaccinations are registered and officials believe the rate is actually between 85 and 90 per cent.

The province said the rate may be lower among certain sub-populations and the risk of outbreak may be greater among those groups than it is for the population overall.

The outbreak in Vancouver has affected nine people and is believed to have been started with an unvaccinated boy who travelled to Vietnam.

A Winnipeg pediatrician who administers the MMR vaccine said he’s heard from concerned parents.

“I think people are always aware that the things we immunize for are a problem,” said Dr. Grant MacDougall, noting a recent outbreak in the Philippines led to the deaths of dozens of children. “Historically, the death rate is one in 1000, so for every 1000 kids who get it, there’s about one death or so.”

MacDougall said the risk is greater for those who travel to areas of the world where outbreaks are more common, and people who make plans to travel can request to have their child vaccinated earlier than usual, at as young as six months, instead of at age one.

“And if they’re young infants, I just tell them to be very careful,” said MacDougall.

The Vancouver outbreak has prompted the B.C. government to consider a mandatory vaccination registration program.

A poll released Wednesday by the Angus Reid Institute suggests most Canadians are in favour of mandatory vaccination against deadly disease.

“That’s a pretty hot-button topic, to have a mandatory vaccine, because people want to have some autonomy,” said MacDougall. “Having said that, I always tell people who don’t vaccinate – just don’t hang out with people like yourself.

“Because when you get enough people who don’t vaccinate together, there’s more likely to be spread of those illnesses. Whether it’s measles, whether it’s pneumococcal meningitis, you have to worry about clusters.”

With files from CTV's Michelle Gerwing